By Chris Carter, Managing Solicitor, Carter & Carter Solicitors | March 2026

You were hurt at work. You know it wasn’t your fault. And yet something is stopping you from making a claim. You’re not alone — it happens every day, to thousands of people, with injuries that would have led to real compensation if they’d just made one phone call.

Here are the reasons we hear most often — and what the law actually says about each one.

“I Don’t Want to Get My Employer in Trouble — They’re Good People”

This is one of the most common things we hear. And it shows real loyalty. But here’s what most people don’t know: your compensation isn’t paid by your employer. It’s paid by their insurers. Under the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969, every UK employer is legally required to hold employers’ liability insurance. That insurance exists precisely for this situation. Your employer has been paying premiums into it for years. Making a claim doesn’t come out of their pocket — it comes out of the insurer’s.

You are not harming your employer by claiming. You are using a system the law requires them to have.

→ Read the full post: Can You Claim Against Your Employer Without Getting Them in Trouble?

“My Injury Wasn’t Serious Enough to Bother With”

There is no minimum injury threshold in English personal injury law. The law doesn’t require a broken bone, a hospital stay, or weeks off work. What matters is whether your employer was negligent and whether that negligence caused your injury. The Judicial College Guidelines — the framework courts use to value claims — covers injuries across the full spectrum, including minor ones. People with soft tissue injuries, sprains, cuts requiring stitches, and similar “minor” injuries claim successfully every day.

The practical question is whether your general damages are likely to reach around £1,500 — the threshold at which a No Win No Fee claim becomes commercially viable. If your symptoms lasted three to four weeks or more and required any medical treatment, there’s a good chance they do. We’ll tell you honestly on the first call.

→ Read the full post: Is My Workplace Injury Serious Enough to Claim Compensation?

“It Happened Months Ago — Is It Too Late?”

Probably not. Under the Limitation Act 1980, you have three years from the date of your workplace accident to bring a personal injury claim. If your accident was within the last three years, you are almost certainly still in time. The three-year window is the legal deadline — not a prompt to hesitate further.

That said, evidence does fade. CCTV is typically deleted within 30 days. Witnesses move on. Accident book entries get mislaid. The earlier you call, the stronger your claim is likely to be — but if months have passed, don’t assume it’s too late without speaking to us first.

“I Can’t Afford a Solicitor and I Don’t Want a Long Legal Battle”

Both concerns are completely understandable. Both are addressed by the same answer. Carter & Carter operate on a No Win No Fee basis — you pay nothing upfront and nothing at all if your claim is unsuccessful. If it succeeds and settles without court proceedings, our fee is 10%. Most firms charge 25%. There are no hidden costs and no surprises.

As for a long legal battle — 99% of workplace injury claims settle without a final court hearing. Most complete within 2–6 months. Chris or David handles your claim from the first call to the final settlement. You are never passed to a junior or a call centre. And you never have to face your employer directly — we handle everything.